Passive Safety-Engineered Sharps Reduce Injuries

A study published in the American Journal of Infection Controlfound that many of the injuries associated with safety-engineered sharp devices (SESDs) occur after device use but before an active safety mechanism is engaged. The study concluded that many of these injuries are likely preventable through implementation of passive SESD designs.

SESD designs generally fall into two categories: active and passive. Active designs require healthcare workers to perform some action to activate the safety mechanism (e.g., sliding a shield over the needle after use), whereas passive devices do not require the user to actively engage the safety feature since the safety mechanism is integral to the normal operation of the product. Active designs tend to be less expensive and more prevalent than passive designs; as...